“I could really use a nap, but I have to finish my homework before dinner.”

We say we “could use” something that would be nice to have. It might be an unexpected favor, like the tea above, or something we want or need but probably won’t get. For example, I could use a million dollars.

Joe Bloggs is a placeholder name commonly used in the U.K. and other countries. It’s different from John Doe in that John Doe is a real person with no name, while Joe Bloggs is a name with no corresponding real person. For example, you can use it as a fake account to test your website. In the U.S. “John Smith” is more common as a placeholder name.

We don’t really “fire” a plan, but we do fire guns. So imagine you are a soldier, and you have been marching through a swamp or hiding in a forest. Your gun is dirty and it got wet. Will it still fire? It will if it’s very reliable, or “sure-fire”!

Horses have been important to humans for a long time, so there are many special words to describe them. This horse’s coloring is called “bay”. It means a reddish brown horse with black mane, tail, and legs.

When something can’t be shared by more than one person at the same time, you can still share it by taking turns. On the playground at school, the swings are popular. Many children want to use them, so you might have to wait a long time for your turn.

John Doe is a name used for a man whose name is not known—for example, if a man is found dead with no identification, or he has amnesia and his identity is unknown. For a woman, the equivalent name is Jane Doe.

“Want to go out drinking after work?”
“I’ll have to ask my wife.”
“I see. How is the old ball and chain doing, anyway?”

We have an idea that a man loses his freedom when he gets married. So you might occasionally hear his wife referred to as his “ball and chain”, like the heavy ball chained to the leg of an imprisoned criminal so that he can’t escape.